For many healthcare employers, finding enough patient care technicians (PCTs) is very much an uphill battle.
In a 2024 survey by the American College of Healthcare Executives, 50% of hospital leaders cited not having enough medical technicians as a key staffing issue. Both in the view of medical technicians and backed up by objective data, this is a big problem.
For example, in an Incredible Health survey, 61% of technicians said staffing shortages directly impact their work, for reasons such as increased stress, fewer teammates and added responsibility without sufficient support.
These staffing challenges have life and death implications. For example, a 2024 study of dialysis patient care technicians providing in-center hemodialysis found a 7% higher rate of patient mortality when there was the highest quartile of patient-to-PCT ratio compared to the lowest quartile of facility-level patient-to-PCT ratio.
Additionally, even when healthcare employers find enough patient care technicians, retaining them is a huge challenge. According to the American Hospital Association’s 2026 Environmental Scan report, patient care technicians in hospitals have an annual turnover rate of 34.2%. Only a certified nursing assistant, a position with similar responsibilities, is an allied healthcare role with a higher turnover rate.
Healthcare facilities need to find an easier pathway to hiring and retaining quality patient care technicians, which is a staffing challenge MedCerts Partner Solutions can play a key role in successfully addressing.
Employees Looking For Upskilling Opportunities
Kasey is representative of the type of employee who is an ideal candidate for upskilling to a patient care technician. She earned a degree in public health from West Virginia University before accepting a position as a lab assistant at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
While she enjoyed her job, after three years, she was searching for opportunities that would be more patient interaction-focused. Her employer offered a GROW Career Pathways program, which provided paid, on-the-job training. When the MedCerts Patient Care Technician certification training program became available through Holy Spirit’s partnership with Guild, Kasey jumped at the opportunity.
Research shows employer-provided educational opportunities can have a big impact on retention. For example, a Guild survey found health systems that enroll nurses in the Guild program average 50% lower turnover rates than their peers, while Guild healthcare learners are 2.9X more likely to experience internal mobility. Additionally, in a survey, 93.6% of healthcare employers who also use MedCerts found working with MedCerts has increased employee retention.
The problem is awareness. Only 2% of employees who have access to a tuition assistance program actually participate in it.
Preparing Students With A Job-Ready Skill Set
Reflecting on successfully completing the 24-week MedCerts Patient Care Technician program curriculum, Kasey noted several standout aspects of the experience, which broadened her understanding of healthcare and provided her with new patient-facing skills.
“The phlebotomy side of things has been especially helpful,” Kasey explained. “I’ve been in the lab for years, but it was really interesting to learn national protocols.” No longer working behind closed walls, Kasey was able to integrate her existing medical knowledge into helping patients more directly.
Another aspect of the MedCerts online curriculum that connected with Kasey was the learning format, which prepared her for a more patient-facing role. MedCerts instructional technology combines augmented reality (AR), 3D animations, and real-world simulation. “I really enjoyed the interactive learning opportunities,” she said. “They were detailed and helped me visualize what working with patients actually looks like.”
The MedCerts Patient Care Technician program prepares learners to support doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in a wide range of patient care tasks and treatments. Courses included in the program include sections on Professionalism in Allied Health, Fundamentals of Patient Care, Electrocardiography, Phlebotomy, and Introduction to Human Anatomy and Medical Terminology.
A Foundation For Multiple Career Paths
Learners who successfully graduate the MedCerts Patient Care Technician program come away with three different certifications from the National Healthcareer Association: Certified Patient Care Technician (CPCT), Certified EKG Technician (CET), and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).
For healthcare employers, this means they can address staffing shortages in a few different departments with program graduates.
Kasey, who has completed the program, her clinical qualifications and has her certification exam scheduled, explains the flexibility her certifications will provide.
“I have options now,” she said. “I could move into patient care, focus on phlebotomy or even explore electrocardiography and work more closely with cardiology teams. I want to try different things and see what fits.”
Conclusion
While finding enough patient care technicians might seem like a significant challenge, thanks to online learning and MedCerts Partner Solutions, upskilling existing employees can sustainably address the need. Creating career pathways addresses both current staffing shortages and improves retention for valued team members going forward.
Want more information about how MedCerts Partner Solutions can help your facility solve patient care technician staffing challenges? Contact us at [email protected].
